The Little Prince
by Kristen3
Summary: In the middle of the night, Prince Charming is awakened by cries from his newborn son. As he tends to the infant, his thoughts turn to Emma and his missed chance at fatherhood. Fluffy one-shot. Rating is for slight innuendo.


**Author's Note: **It's been a while since I did an OUAT story, but this idea has been in my head lately. I have to dedicate this bit of fluff to Anika (**BaronessBlixen**), because she writes about the Charming family better than I could ever hope to. With that said, I decided to try my hand at writing this couple, and I hope I've done them justice. This takes place after the S3 finale.

Prince Charming woke to the sound of a baby crying. It took a moment to place the noise. But of course it was Prince Neal. He smiled, feeling relief that his family was safe. He looked over at Snow, and saw that she was sound asleep. He couldn't resist kissing his wife before he made his way to the nursery.

Mary Margaret's apartment was small and cramped, but somehow it now seemed cozy. Charming went to the crib and lifted his tiny son out. He could never get over the feeling of holding a child of his own. Always there would be the regret that he and Snow never had this chance with Emma. Yes, the Evil Queen had changed a great deal since then. She was a mother now herself. But that didn't change the fact that Emma grew up an orphan, instead of living with her parents in the Enchanted Forest. She should've been royalty, not a foster kid.

"Oh, Neal, when you get older, you're going to learn that our family tree is...complicated," Charming whispered. He chuckled to himself. "Complicated" was an understatement. The baby had been named for Rumpelstiltskin's son, who was also Emma's first love, and Henry's father. Not only that, but Neal would find out about how his parents had stopped the Wicked Witch's plot literally hours after he was born. Charming shuddered to think what Zelena might've done if her plan had succeeded, and she'd gone into the past. It was very likely that Snow would never have been born.

Once again, Charming's thoughts turned to Emma. He could never be prouder of his daughter. Though life had dealt her a bad hand, she'd definitely managed to find her place in the world all on her own. She was a bail bondsperson before Henry found her. Thanks to her long-lost son, Emma was able to fulfill her destiny and break the Evil Queen's curse.

If it hadn't been for Emma, Prince Charming would still be John Doe, stuck in a coma. Snow White would've been a lonely schoolteacher. Things in Storybrooke were a mess before Emma came to town. It was hard to believe it, but Emma gave her parents a chance to actually _be_ parents. Not just to her, although she was finally learning how to be a daughter after so many years of being on her own. But now they had a second chance. Any father would've been lucky to have a daughter as strong and capable as Emma. But the fact that Charming now had a son, a prince, and an heir to their kingdom in the Enchanted Forest, was almost too good to be true.

Just then, Charming became aware of a figure standing in the doorway. He looked into the eyes of his beloved, Snow White. "Did I wake you?"

Snow shook her head. "I noticed that the other half of the bed was empty, and I knew you had to be in here."

"Our little Prince was a bit lonely, and I guess he wanted his daddy."

"The sight of you with a little baby almost makes me tear up."

Charming smiled at her. "I know. After Emma, it seemed like we'd never get this chance. I was just thinking the same thing."

"If someone had told me a couple of years ago that we'd be here, I would've thought they were crazy. I still can't even believe I had a heart-to-heart with Regina!" Snow laughed. As unbelievable as it seemed, Regina had really changed. She was acting a bit more like the girl Snow remembered, the one who saved her life all those years ago.

"I can't believe _any_ of what we've been through these past couple of years. I mean, traveling to Neverland to rescue Henry from his evil great-grandfather, Peter Pan?!"

"I know," Snow said with a laugh. "Then we lost a year of our lives, and Zelena nearly wiped me off the face of the Earth, _and_ the Enchanted Forest."

"I never would've let her get away with that," Charming said seriously. "We're the good guys, remember? We always win. I will always find you."

Snow smiled at the familiar phrase. It was true. Somehow, despite all of the obstacles, Prince Charming had indeed found Snow White, and they did get to have their happy ending. It might've taken a bit longer than they'd anticipated, but here they were, surrounded by their family. And not only that, but Storybrooke was full of close friends and extended family, such as Belle, and Ruby. "I think Prince Neal is going to be fine," Snow said, almost to herself. "He's going to grow up around people who love him."

"Yeah," Charming agreed, staring down at his son's sweet face. "And if he grows up to be as tough as his mom and his big sister, he's going to be more than able to take over the kingdom. I don't care if we're here or in the Enchanted Forest. I want my son to know he's a prince."

"He will," Snow reassured her husband. She knew her husband was thinking of all that Emma had missed out on. But that was in the past. There was no way anything like that could happen to Neal. "I'm sure Henry will make sure his uncle knows all about where he came from." She smiled, thinking of the book of fairytales she'd given her grandson. She held out her hand, and Charming made sure Neal was safely balanced in one arm before reaching out to accept it. "Come back to bed," Snow whispered. "Neal will be just fine."

Charming nodded before standing up. Wordlessly, they put their son back into his crib before returning to their own bedroom. It would definitely be a while before either of them went to sleep.

**The End**


End file.
